“It's always been you know, religion that has been the primary impediment to actual relationship with God, because it creates a mythology about performance -- that you can perform your way into the appeasement of the deity. And you know, when you're born inside the cultural framework that I was, and you're born inside the religious traditions that I was, that becomes your understanding of spirituality: That it's about trying to please God. So, it's really not about God at all; it's about our ability to perform according to whatever the expectations are.” KnowsWayTryingHas BeensReligionSpiritualityUnderstandingBornReligiousAbilityPleaseExpectationsTraditionPerformancesMythologyPrimariesDeitiesFrameworkRelationship With GodImpedimentsReligious TraditionsAppeasement Author:William P. Young
“I think one of the greatest losses to humanity was the domination of women. I think every religious system has found ways to be kind to them in a kind of subordinate way. Very patronizing, very colonial. But if you start looking at the fabric of society, even religious systems, they would fall apart if it wasn't for the embedded ability of the women who are involved.” IfsThinkingWayKindHumanityFallFoundWomenReligiousLossAbilityInvolvedBe KindFabricDominationFalling ApartSubordinatesEmbeddedPatronizing Author:William P. Young
“I think my books give people a language to have a conversation about God that's not religious. There isn't enough new literature that brings the conversation of God into a modern context. I love the Bible, but in the West we've analyzed it until it fits into a structure of control. We need more new stories. We need different ways of looking at things, and I think it's coming.” PeopleThinkingWayNeedsGivingBookDifferentEnoughStoriesLiteratureLanguageReligiousModernFitConversationStructureWestDifferent Ways Author:William P. Young
“I think good creative writing opens up space for people to come into. Let God reach out and touch the human soul. That's not my job. I get to be present and create as much space as I can ... That frees me up just to be creative in the way I want to be.” PeopleThinkingWayWantWritingHumansI CanSoulJobsSpaceCreativeLetting GoReach OutBe CreativeCreative WritingHuman Soul Author:William P. Young
“Jesus?" he whispered as his voice choked "I feel so lost" A hand reached out and squeezed his, and didn't let go. "I know Mack. But it's not true. I am with you and I'm not lost. I'm sorry it feels that way, but hear me clearly. You are not lost.” KnowsWayFeelsHandsJesusLostVoiceLetting GoSorryI'm SorryMack Author:William P. Young
“Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly.” WayAblePainWingsShackShack Book Author:William P. Young
“Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself - to serve.” WayLimitsOneselfOne WayWill PowerShackShack Book Author:William P. Young
“those who are afraid of freedom are those who cannot trust us to live in them. Trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence, a way of keeping control” WayTryingLawIndependenceDeclarationDeclaration Of Independence Author:William P. Young
“Forgiveness in no way requires that you trust the one you forgive.” WayForgivenessForgivingNo Forgiveness Author:William P. Young
“Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to hold power over another is to chose to limit to onself - to serve. Humans often do this - in touching the infirm and sick, in serving the ones whos minds have left to wander, in relation to the poor, in loving the very old and the very young, or even in caring for the others who has assumed a position of power over them.” WayMindHumansYoungLeftPoorPositionLimitsSickRelationCaringWanderOne WayServingTouchingPosition Of Power Author:William P. Young
“It is not the nature of love to force a relationship, but it is the nature of love to open the way.” WayForceShackShack Book Author:William P. Young
“"Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly"... "And if left unresolved you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place."” IfsWayFirstsAblePainLeftForgetWingsShackShack Book Author:William P. Young
“You... were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around... Living unloved is like clipping a bird's wing and removing its ability to fly... A bird is not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are defined not by their limitations, but by the intentions I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in my image. Love is NOT the limitation; love is the flying. I AM love.” IfsWayHumansMeanSeemsRememberAbilityLove IsBirdWingsIntentionFlyingDefinedLimitationGroundedUnlovedShackImages Of Love Author:William P. Young
“I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later.” WayFirstsHeartStuffIssuesEasier Author:William P. Young
“The world in many ways would be a much calmer and gentler place if women ruled. There would have been fewer children sacrificed to the gods of greed and power.” IfsWorldWayChildrenHas BeensWould BeGreedFewerCalmer Author:William P. Young
“Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly, not the other way around. You, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around. Living unloved is like clipping a bird’s wings and removing its ability to fly. Not something I want for you. Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place.” IfsWayWantFirstsLongHandsAblePainLeftAbilityForgetBirdWingsLimitationGroundedUnlovedShackShack Book Author:William P. Young
“Part of my journey is to say that the soul of the human being must be a massively intricate, wonderful creation that God has a respect for in ways that we do not and that leaves a huge amount of space to go explore.” WayHumansSoulHuman BeingsSpaceWonderfulJourneyCreationHugeAmountIntricateMy Journey Author:William P. Young
